Motor-control system



Dec. 6, 1924. 1,519,238

J. A. CLARKE, JR

MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jun? 25, 1 21 V Headway anvil;

WITNESSES: INVENTOR JZ/Ifl ,(ldr ta/2 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

' UNITED STATES 1,519,238 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. CLARKE, J'R., OF EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'I'O WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

MOTOR -CONTBOL SYSTEM.

Application filed June 25, 1921. Serial No. 480,311.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoHN A. CLARKE, J r.,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Alla gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful'Improvement in Motor-Control Systems, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My inventionrelates to control systems and it has particular relation to control systems employed to govern the operation of railway motors that are subjected to comparatively high voltages.

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple control system for governing the operation of a motor-generator set, or dynamotor, that will prevent injury to an operator thereof by making 1t 1111- necessary for him to manually open any high-voltage circuits.

In railway operation, a motor-generator set, or the like, is usually employed to so ply power to the locomotive auxiliary, suc for example, as the blower motors, compressor motors, lighting circuits and the field-magnet windings of the mainmotors durin regeneration and, in some systems of contro l, during acceleration. It is obvious that, if no storage batteries are employed in such a control system, it is necessary to bring the motor-generator set up to full speed before starting any auxiliary devices or main motors of the locomotive.

As the motor of the motor-generator set operates at relatively high voltage, it is essential that it may be safely started and so protected that, in an emergency, it shall be automatically de-energized.

When a storage battery is employed in combination with a motor-generator set, it is a relatively simple matter to employ the electrical energy from the battery to operate the switch that connects the motor of the motor-generator set to a source of energy. On the other hand, when a storage battery is not employed, the motor-gen.- erator set, according to prior systems, must .be energized by a switch that is closed by hand. However, it is undesirable that the operator be required to manually open this switch.

Briefly speaking, my invention consists in employinga manually operable auxiliary switch to start the motor of a motor-generator set, automatically connecting the by means of a contaetor or circuit-breaker.

and then automatically opening the first switch, provision being made for de-energizing the actuating coil of the. contaetor upon the occurrence of over-voltage or under-voltage conditions, or in accordance with the will of the operator.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which shows a motor-generator set or dynamotor 1, which is preferably mounted upon a locomotive. The motor-generator set 1 comprises a motor 2 and a generator 3, which are mechanically connected together by means of a shaft 4.

The motor 2 may be energized upon the closure of a manually operated knife switch 5 by a circuit that extends from a source of electrical energy, such as a trolley wire 6, through a pantograph 7, knife-switch 5, the actuating coil of overload relay 13 and the motor 2 to ground. The knife-switch 5 is provided with an electro-magnetic device 8 for causing the switch 5 to assume its open position. The device 8 comprises a movable member or core 9 that may be actuated by a coil 10. The operation of the device 8 will be hereinafter more fully described.

A line switch or contaetor 11 is provided for permanently connecting the motor 2 to the source of energy 6 after the switch 5 has closed. Upon the energization of the motor 2, it drives the generator 3, thereby providing electrical energy for the control circuits and auxiliary devices that are mounted upon the locomotive.

The line switch or contaetor 11 is provided with an actuating coil which may be energized by a circuit extending from one terminal of the generator 3 through the actuating coil of the contaetor 11, push-button device 12, overload relay 13 and no voltage relay 14 to the other terminal of the generator 3. The no-vqltage relay 14 has its actuating coil connected across the terminals of the motor 2 to be energized by the counter-electro motive force thereof.

When the line switch or contaetor 11 is closed, an auxiliary contaetor or interlock 16 of a familiar type, which is mechanically connected therewith, is actuated to its closed position, thereby establishing a circuit from the generator 3 through the auxiliary contactor 17 of the knife-switch 5, actuating coil [0 of the knife-switch 5 and auxiliary contactor 16 to the generator 3.

Upon the energization of the actuating coil 10, the'manua-lly operable switch 5 is actuated to its open position, thereby causing the auxiliary contactor 17 to assume its open position to break the circuit comprising the actuating coil 10 of the switch 5.

The actuating coil of the contactor 11 will be de-energized u on the occurrence of overload or under-v0 tage conditions by means of the overload and no-voltage relays 13 and 14, respectively. The operator of the locomotive may de-energize the motor-generator set by pressing upon the push-button 12, causing it to assume its open position, thereby breaking the circuit comprising the actuating coil of the contactor 11 and thus opening the contactor.

From the above description, it is apparent that the operator is not required to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of any of the circuits that are subjected to relatively high voltage except to close the manually operable knife-switch 5 upon starting the motor-generator set and that, by means of mly invention, he is not required to menu a 3' open any circuit of relatively high voltage.

While I have shown my invention in a preferred form, minor modifications may be made in the arrangement of circuits and the type of ap aratus employed without de arting from t e spirit 0 my invention. desire, therefore, to belimited only by the sciipe of the appended claims.

claim as my invention:

1. In a control stem, the combination with a translating evice, of manually operable means for energizing said device and automatic means for maintainin said device energized and for rendering sai first means inoperative for energizing said device.

2. In a control s stem, the combination with a translating. evice, of manually operable means for energizing said device.

, automatic means for maintaining said device ener 'zed and for rendering said first means 0 ectrically inoperative and automatic means for de-energizing said device upon the occurrence of a predetermined vanation in voltage.

3. In a control system, the combination with a motor and a generator driven thereby, of a switch for energizing said motor, automatic means for maintainin said motor energized and means governed y said second means for opening said switch.

4. In a contro system, the combination with a motor and a generator, of means comprising a switch for energizing said motor, an electrically operable switch for maintaining said motor ener ized and mes governed by said electricafiy operable swit l i for o ening said manually operable switch.

5. n a control system, the combination with a motor and a generator driven thereby, of means comprising a switch for starting said motor, means comprising a switch having an actuatin coil for maintaining said motor ener 'ze and automatic means for openin sai first switch upon the closure of sai second switch.

6. In a control system, the combination with a motor and a generator driven thereby, of a source of electrical energy, a switch for energizing said motor, a contactor for connecting said motor to said source, means comprising an actuating coil for opening said switc and means actuated by said contactor for energizing said coil.

7. In a control system, the combination with amotor and a generator driven there-- by, of a source of electrical energy, a menua 1y operable switch for connecti said motor to said source, a contactor having an actuating coil for maintaining said motor energize said coil being energized by said generator, and electrical means for actuating said manually operable switch after the closure of said contactor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of June JOHN A. CLARKE, JR. 

